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Salty and sour transduction. Multiple mechanisms and strain differences
T Miyamoto1, R Fujiyama, Y Okada
1Takenori Miyamoto, Department of Physiology, Nagasaki University School of Dentistry, Japan. miyamoto@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|February 4, 1999
Summary
Mouse taste cells use multiple pathways for salt and acid detection. Strain differences in salt taste perception were observed, with C57BL/6 mice showing more amiloride-sensitive salt responses than BALB/c mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Taste Physiology
Background:
- Taste perception involves complex cellular mechanisms for detecting different stimuli.
- Amiloride is a known blocker of epithelial sodium channels, influencing salt taste.
- Understanding taste transduction pathways is crucial for explaining sensory perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive components of salt and acid responses in mouse taste cells.
- To compare these responses between C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains.
- To elucidate the specific transduction mechanisms underlying salty and sour taste.
Main Methods:
- Whole-cell clamp technique applied to nondissociated taste cells.
- Localized taste stimulation with salt and acid solutions.
- Pharmacological assessment using amiloride and a Cl- channel blocker (NPPB).
Main Results:
- Both amiloride-sensitive and -insensitive pathways contribute to salt-induced depolarization in mouse taste cells.
- Significant strain differences were observed: C57BL/6 mice exhibited a higher proportion of amiloride-sensitive salt responses compared to BALB/c mice.
- Acid-induced responses were amiloride-insensitive and suppressed by NPPB, indicating distinct transduction mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Multiple, distinct transduction mechanisms mediate salty and sour taste perception.
- Strain-specific differences in salt taste transduction exist between C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice.
- These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of taste receptor function and variability.